Symantec updates Internet security software

Mark Raby, 15th September 2006

Cupertino (CA) - Symantec has launched new versions of two of its Internet security software titles. Norton Antivirus 2007 and Norton Internet Security 2007 provide computers with safeguards against spyware, viruses, and even phishing schemes.

According to Symantec, improved technology enables the new Antivirus software to automatically detect an upcoming security threat and will block it from affecting the user's computer, even without needing to obtain authorization. It is also able to block attacks from worms or viruses that mask themselves from virus protection software.

The big addition for the 2007 version of Norton Internet Security is the ability to help prevent users from getting hurt from phishing scams. With a pre-defined list of known phishing sites, along with "advanced heuristic technology", it will forbid users from loading any Web site it thinks is a phising site.

According to Symantec, Norton Internet Security also ensures that a worm, virus, or spyware hack that tries to get into someone's computer as the result of a "vulnerability" in the Windows Operating system will not infect the computer.

The software's updated firewall will be more user-friendly than in previous versions: Instead of requiring users to decide whether or not a specific application can access the Internet, Internet Security's firewall is automatically configured to block these requests from spyware, virus, worm, and crimeware applications from going through.